Roger “Hurricane” Wilson – Somebody Had to Say It
Blue Storm Records
9 songs, 44 minutes
It is an accomplishment if an artist can live a life full of music. Those people who can hustle and put together a career even if they never get the name recognition of a super star. Roger “Hurricane” Wilson is that type of artist. A prolific musician and Blues force, Wilson is an educator, disc jockey, writer, and promoter among other things. Hurricane’s record Somebody Had to Say It is an all original showcase of his highly fluid guitar chops and at times skewed writing style.
Unfortunately, there is not much information in the press materials about this album. The backing bands are listed as The Fishman Allstars and The Singular Sound Rhythm Section. Hurricane clearly sings and throws tasty guitar all over. This record is labeled as a compilation on streaming services and the sound quality does differ on a few tracks.
First of all, Hurricane is a very talented guitarist. With an integrated facility for multiple styles of Blues six stringing, Hurricane plays with the impressive balance of melody and technical mastery, often eschewing gimmicky shredding for meaningful and emotive displays. Hurricane’s vocals don’t match his guitar power. With a spoken, Country Western type of delivery, Hurricane clearly and plainly delivers his lyrics.
The opening two songs set a great tone for the record; “It Was A Good Run” into “Thinking Positive.” Reflective about life lived and how to approach age and modern life. “I’ll Never Worry About You Again” creates a beautiful link between Hurricane’s child and his parents, even if the rhyme scheme is a little clunky. “I’m Sorry I Waited So Long” is lush with some glistening guitar work and “Everything’s Gonna Be Ok” ends the album with Rock ballad yearning for hope.
A few of the songs on this collection deal with modern life and the friction created when trying to hold onto past societal norms. “If You Came to Hear Music (Then Shut Up & Listen)” addresses people who talk through concerts. Not a bad thing to comment on, but the lyrics, rhyme scheme and vocal performance don’t fully land. “Ok Millennial” is a bit of a hackney complaint about the next generation. While “You Do Your Job” is a good chugging reprimand to a person trying to change the way Hurricane does his job, ostensibly guitar playing. “Job” is a really effective and well crafted song.
Roger “Hurricane” Wilson is a Blues guitar master. A real hidden gem who wrangles the strings with the best of them. Somebody Had to Say It is a little inconsistent but it has some truly great moments. Hurricane is also very prolific, so if you want to check out more of his work, it is highly recommended.
